Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity
by romance in the rain
Summary: She’s scared. She's scared because she just moved, she just got out an abusive home, she doesn’t have an escape plan, and most of all: She’s about to meet a dad she hasn’t seen in a long time. AU. R&R. Haley centric.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**__ This idea wouldn't leave me alone and I don't know why. I thought I would give it a shot. Dan as Haley's real dad has always fascinated me so I thought I would attempt it._

_**Things To Know:**__ Dan and Deb are happily married and have Lucas and Nathan. Karen and Keith are married and have Lily. Haley grew up in an abusive home and is now coming to live with a father she was taken away from at a young age. Her best friend is Rachel. She's the only person Haley trusts besides her friend Chase. The Tree Hill gangs consist of Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, Bevin, Skills, Mouth, and Tim. Brooke isn't part of their world. She has grown up in an abusive home as well. She is best friends with Jake._

_**Warning:**__ Talk of abuse and little minor snippets of it. Language, underage drinking, self-mutilation_

_**Rating:**__ T-M_

_**Couples:**__ Undecided. The only one so far is Leyton._

_**Summary:**__ She's scared. She scared because she just moved, she just got out an abusive home, she doesn't have an escape plan, and most of all: She's about to meet a dad she hasn't seen a long time._

**Five Vicodin chased with a shot of clarity - Prolog**

Haley James stood in front of the large house. It was much bigger than the house she grew up in. She placed her bag at her feet and looked at the white door. The paint was chipping on it and it was bubbled in spots. It felt homey though. She watched as the social worker rang the doorbell.

She pulled the sleeves of her black leather jacket further down her arms. She was dressed in a pair of ripped blue jeans with black stockings underneath. Under her black leather jacket was a crimson colored corset top. She wore black combat boots. Her blond hair was streaked with black and red highlights. Her make-up was too dark.

Despite her appearance she was scared. She was scared because she just left an abusive home. She was scared because she moved hundreds of miles across the country. She was scared because she didn't have an escape plan if things went wrong here. She was mostly scared because she was about to meet her father whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

The door opened and a blond woman stood there. She shook the social worker's hand then smiled at Haley. She held her hand out but quickly with drew it when she saw Haley wasn't going to respond. She watched the young girl look at the ground. She looked so fragile. "Is Mr. Scott home?"

"No. He just went to pick up the boys from school. He wanted them to be here for this." She held the door open and motioned for them to come inside. Haley picked up her bag that held all of her belongings. It was a large duffel bag but it was still small for someone who was carrying all of their belongings in it.

Haley stayed standing by the front door while Deb and the social worker talked. They were standing close to her but she didn't hear what they were saying. She wasn't paying any attention to them. She was looking around the room. Everything looked so expensive. She wasn't used to it. She jumped when the front door opened. A man and two teenage boys walked in. "Dan, you're home."

"Hey Deb." He kissed her then shook the social worker's hand. "Hi I'm Dan Scott. We talked on the phone." He looked over at Haley. His breath caught in his throat. So much about her had changed since he last saw her. She was no longer the little girl who used to ask him to tuck her in and read her a story. No. She was someone he didn't even know now. "Hello Haley."

She didn't say anything, she just looked at him. He looked just like the picture she had of him. He had aged just a little but not much. He was still just as she remembered him. He still had that sparkle in his eyes when he looked at her. She looked at the boys next. One was blond and looked shy. The other one was dark haired and looked like an out going person. He was the first to speak to her. "So you're my baby sister?"

She tensed up when he spoke. The blond boy must have noticed because he quickly jumped into action. He smacked Nathan in the back of the head then looked at Haley. "I'm sorry about him. He normally speaks without thinking. That's Nathan and I'm Lucas." He smiled at her and she felt comfortable with it. He was the first person to show that much warmth to her in a long time. "Would you like me to show you to your room?"

She nodded and reached down to pick up her bag. Lucas picked it up for her though. She tensed when he got close to her but tried to not let it show. These people were taking her in. She didn't want to be rude to them. She followed him up the stairs. Nathan followed them up but disappeared behind a door painted blue. Lucas stopped in front of a white door. It matched the walls in the hallway. "Mom likes us to have our own special place. We'll go get you a paint color for your walls when you decide what color you want. We'll paint the door too."

"Black." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow but said nothing. He opened the door and placed the bag just inside the room. He stepped out of the way and let her look inside. There was a queen size bed, a dresser, a vanity, a desk, and a nightstand in the room. All of them were made from a dark wood. They left the room plain so she could decorate how she wanted to.

She sat down on the floor in front of the duffel bag and pulled out a picture frame. Lucas caught sight of the picture. It was Haley and some girl with red hair. Her make-up was about as dark as Haley's and her clothing was similar. They even had matching leather jackets. Haley tenderly traced her finger across the red head. "I miss you Rach."

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Okay so as far as prologs go I don't like this one but I can't rewrite it. I'll explain more on the Haley being taken away from Dan then being placed in his care in the next chapter. Also I'll put probably put some of the Raley friendship in it as well._


	2. Author's Note Please Read

_**I realize this story may be a little confusing so I'm going to clear some things up.**_

Haley James was the product of an affair Dan had with Lydia. She was taken away from her father, two older brothers, and step-mom when she was four by Lydia. Lydia wanted a fresh start and she didn't want Dan to have anything to do with Haley if he wouldn't marry her.

Rachel Gattina has been best friends with Haley since they were about five. They got really close when Haley was thirteen and she learned about the abuse. She played a big part in saving Haley. If it weren't for Rachel Haley would have died a long time ago. They had a small relationship before she left.

Chase Adams is like a big brother for Haley. He has been there for her since she was twelve. Anytime she needed a place to stay he would take her in. He helped her to patch up her injuries when she refused to go to the hospital. He has saved her from bleeding to deaths several times.

Chris Keller met Haley when she was fourteen and he was fifteen. They had a relationship. He was a shoulder for her to lean on. He was a lot of first for her. They were in love once but they both knew it would never last. Now they are just really good friends.

Brooke Davis is best friends with Jake. She doesn't talk to many people. She has the whole tough-girl-goth-punk-chick look going on. She is abused at home.

Jake Jagielski is best friends with Brooke. He's worried about her because of the abuse. He has a daughter to look after as well.

_**If you have any questions about anything else let me know.**_


	3. Chapter 2

**_A/N: _**_Chapter title comes from Made Of Scars by Stone Sour. More family interaction will come later on. I'm just slowly getting into introducing everyone. Enjoy._

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity – Made Of Scars**

Haley stayed in her new bedroom alone for most of the day. She unpacked what few belongings she had. After she was unpacked she just sat on her bed and strummed on the guitar that had been in the closet.

She looked around the room. The plain white walls would look better once she painted them. She would paint the walls red and all the woodwork would be black. Her gaze stopped at the dresser. She hung her pictures up on the mirror. There were pictures of her, Rachel, and Chase. Her favorite picture was of her, Rachel, Chase, and Chris. She was leaning against Rachel in the picture. Chris had his arm around her waist and Chase was knelt down in front of her looking up at her. They were happy then. All of them. The three of them were only fifteen at the time. Chris was sixteen.

She stopped on another picture. It was from when she was four. She was sitting on Dan's lap. She had dark hair in the picture. She was smiling and full of innocence. Nathan and Lucas were sitting on either side of them. It was taken the day she left.

_Dan knelt down in front of his four-year-old daughter. "Haley I need you to be a good girl for your mommy okay?" Once Haley nodded her head he continued. "You and mommy are going to go away for awhile. I'll come see you when you get to your new house okay?"_

"_But I want to stay with you daddy." She threw her little arms around her dad's neck and clung to him as a tight as a four-year-old can._

"_I know you do sweetie but you have to go with your mommy." He stood up and handed Haley over to Lydia, tears in his eyes. He kept telling himself it would all work out._

Haley walked down the stairs of the house, slowly. She wasn't used to being able to walk around and not worry about being hit. Every little noise always made her jump. Today was no exception. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. There were three new people in the house.

"Haley darling come here please." The voice of Deb pulled her from her thoughts. She obliged and walked into the living room. She stayed close to the entrance so she could have an easy exit. "This is your aunt Karen, your uncle Keith, and your cousin Lily."

"Hi Hawey." A little brunette girl who was about three stood in front of Haley. She had the same light brown hair Haley had at her age. Her eyes were an amazing blue. She was definitely a Scott.

"Hi.." She wasn't sure what to say to the little girl. The only child she knew was Chris' little sister, Kaitlyn. The little girl slipped her hand into Haley's and gently pulled her to a chair. Haley reluctantly sat down. Once she was seated Lily crawled into her lap.

Everyone was amazed at how well Haley was handling the small child. No one expected her to be so relaxed with a child. They watched as Haley picked up a book off the floor and read it to Lily. Who would have thought that the one person Haley would talk to would be the youngest one in the family?

Karen stood up and motioned for Deb to follow her. "Well we're going to go start dinner. Why don't you boys go work on your homework." Nathan was about to protest when he caught the look his aunt was giving him. In all honestly Nathan was scared of her. She was a wonderfully sweet woman but she had a temper.

With the boys and the two women out of the room Keith looked over at his daughter. "Lily why don't you and I go get you cleaned up?"

"Will you finish the story later?" She looked up at Haley with so much innocence. Haley smiled at her and nodded. "Thank you." She smiled at Haley before going with her father out of the room.

Haley was left alone in the room with Dan. It was awkward to say the least. He tried to start a conversation but she couldn't respond. There was still a little uncomfortable. The whole night went on like that. Everyone tried to talk to her but the only one she would talk to was Lily.

**FVCWASOC**

The sound of "Note To Self" woke Haley up. She reached for her cell phone and sat up as she answered it. "I miss you so much."

"_I miss you too babe. How are you?"_

"Miserable. I need you."

"_I wish I could be there babe. So how is the new family?"_

"I don't know. I haven't really talked to them. I don't want to. I want you Rach. I can't talk to people I don't know. How am I supposed to live with them?" Haley wiped her tears away. Rachel was the only person she would cry around. She cried in front of Chase before but she hasn't done it since _that_ beating. "How's Chase?" She regretted asking but she had to know.

"_He's miserable babe. He misses you."_

"I miss him too." Chase was the closest thing to a good solid male lead in her life. The bad thing about that was he was her age. He took care of her though. Anytime she got beat he would be there to tend to her injuries. If she got kicked out of the house for the week he would let her crash with him. He was the only thing to family she had ever had besides Rachel.

"_I'll call you tomorrow okay babe?"_

"Okay." The line was quiet for a moment. "I love you Rachel."

"_I love you too Haley."_ It was difficult for the girls to do this. They had been best friends since kindergarten. They had never been away from each other for more than a week. They both hung up and Haley wiped away her tears. There was no more evidence that she had been crying.

Haley put her phone on the nightstand and picked up a picture. It was similar to the one of her and Rachel but this one had a guy in the picture. Haley was cuddled up in his lap while Rachel was stroking her hair. She was half asleep in the picture. She remembered that night perfectly. It was one of the few nights she had been free. She was living with Chase at the time.

She missed being able to hang out with her friends. They were all she had ever had. She never really had a family. She knew that her father never knew where she was or what was going on. She never blamed him for anything. She couldn't be happy being here though. She didn't know this man, his wife, or their sons. The only family she ever knew was Chase and Rachel.

Chase was every male lead in her life. He pulled the father role off a time or two. He acted like a very protective older brother. And most of all he was one of her best friends. He was only a few months older than her. He was mature though. His parents kicked him out of the house when he was fourteen. He had been living on his own since then.

Rachel was every female role she needed. She gave her motherly advice, sisterly advice, and friend advice. Rachel was left alone a lot of the time. Her parents only had her so they would have someone to leave everything to when they died. Her father wanted someone to take over the family business.

She ran a finger over the picture and remembered her last day with Chase. She missed him so much.

_Haley laid her head on his chest. She had stayed the night with him. She had nowhere else to go and it was easier then going to a temporary foster home. "I'm going to miss you Chase."_

"_I'm going to miss you too Haley." He absentmindedly twirled her hair around his finger. "I can move down there with you." Haley shook her head. "Why not?"_

"_Rachel needs you. I can take care of myself." She sighed. "Rachel acts tough but she needs someone to stay with her."_

Haley sighed and put the picture down. She didn't need to do this to herself. She didn't need to get depressed again. She had to be stronger than that. She was stronger than that. She promised Rachel and Chase that she would at least try to get along here. She would try to be happy here. She had to try. She had to try for them.


	4. Chapter 3

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity – Old Friends and Eye Candy**

_Haley sat in the recording studio. She was holding Kaitlyn while Chris was recording. "Momma." Haley looked down at the one year old. She smiled sadly at her. She wasn't the little girls mom but she had been calling her 'momma' since she could talk. She was the one who take care of her. Anytime Chris couldn't care for Kaitlyn Haley would be there. Chris shouldn't be the one raising Kaitlyn either. She was his sister not his daughter._

"_She did it again." Haley said when the door opened, not even looking up. She handed Kaitlyn her bottle and leaned back in the couch she was sitting on. She finally looked up at Chris. He looked tired. He had been taken care of Kaitlyn since his mother gave birth to her. His mom was strung out on drugs and wouldn't get clean for her child. She would rather have the drugs and the guys. She didn't even know who kaitlyn's father was._

Haley walked around her new bedroom. She was trying to find something decent to wear. She was going shopping with Deb for school clothes. She was standing in the room in a pair of tight fitting jeans that had no holes in them. She was in just her black bra as well, her back to the door.

"Haley?" Lucas opened the door, not used to having to knock. With Nathan it was always safe to walk in. He stopped in the doorway and gasped at what he saw. Haley's back had a long scar going across her shoulder blades. There were several smaller scars on her back and some burn marks from cigarettes.

Haley quickly turned around but by the look on Lucas' face she knew he had saw her back. She didn't want any of them to see her scars. They were private. No one was supposed to know about them. She never wanted to know about them after Chase's reaction. "Don't you ever knock?"

"I… I'm sorry." Lucas quickly turned away from his little sister. "Mom wanted to know if you were ready."

Haley slipped on an old black t-shirt. It had belonged to Chase. He gave it to her before she left. "Yeah I'm ready." She finished tying her boots and grabbed her coat. Haley followed Lucas down the stairs. Sitting in the kitchen talking to Deb was a blonde with really curly hair. She was wearing a "Lynard Skynard" shirt.

"Haley this is my girlfriend Peyton." Haley raised an eyebrow at the girl when she held her hand out. Once she realized Haley wasn't going to shake it she quickly withdrew it. "She's going shopping with you two."

"Hi. I'm Peyton Sawyer. I have a sucky taste in fashion as everyone likes to point out but they thought I could help you." Peyton pointed at Lucas and Deb. She was about to say more but quickly stopped when she saw that Haley wasn't really paying any attention to her.

Nathan walked into the kitchen with a weird look on his face. "Mom a car just pulled into the driveway. Two guys and some redheaded chick got out of the car." Haley never heard anything else he had to say. She ran for the front door.

"Rachel!" Haley ran over to her best friend and practically pounced on her. The two girls would have fallen to the ground if Chase and Chris hadn't of reached out to catch them.

"What no love for us?" Chase joked as he pulled Haley into a hug.

"Where's my baby?" Haley asked as she hugged Chris.

"In the car sleeping." Chris said. Haley ran towards the car. "Please let her sleep!" It was too late. He heard Kaitlyn yell 'momma' as loud as she could.

"Hello. You three must be Haley's friends. I'm Deb, her step-mom. These are my sons, Lucas and Nathan. And this is Lucas' girlfriend, Peyton." Deb motioned to each person as she spoke. "Who are you?" She asked the question with curiosity and gentleness.

"I'm Chris." Chris motioned to Rachel. "That's Rachel, Haley's best friend." He pointed to Chase who was helping Haley get Kaitlyn wrapped up in a blanket. "That's Chase. And that baby is my little sister, Kaitlyn."

Haley walked over carrying the baby. Rachel wrapped her arms around Haley's waist and laid her head on her shoulder. "I miss you so much Haley." Rachel looked up at Haley, pouting. "Can I have you for the day?" She looked so hopeful. Haley looked over at Deb.

"Well we were going to go shopping. Would you like to join us? The boys can stay here and play basketball or something." Deb smiled softly at everyone.

"Sure. I have a surprise for Haley anyone. I would love to set it up before she gets back." Chris walked over to the car and took out Kaitlyn's car seat and her diaper bag. He chuckled at Deb's amused look at Haley holding the baby. "She won't put that baby down unless you pry her away."

**FVCWASOC**

Haley was standing in a music store. Rachel was the clothing store next door picking Haley out some clothes. Haley didn't want to do her own clothes shopping. Rachel volunteered to do it for her. Deb and Peyton set off to find what school supplies Haley would need. "What do you think of this one Kaitlyn?" When the baby grabbed for the CD she chuckled.

"Good choice." That voice sent chills down Haley's spine. She turned around to see the most gorgeous green eyes. She smiled softly at the girl. She was dressed in all black. Her hair looked like it was in need of being dyed. It was dyed a dark black. The girls' roots were what looked like a dark brown. Haley was sure he natural color was very attractive, much like the rest of the girl.

"Thank you." Haley looked down at Kaitlyn who was reaching for her teddy bear in her stroller. The girl picked it up and handed it to the baby. "Thanks. I'm Haley and this is Kaitlyn."

"I'm Brooke." She smiled at the baby. When she smiled she showed off some very sexy dimples. "Is she yours?" She looked at Haley who seemed a little surprised. "It's cool if she is. My best friend has a daughter."

"She's my friend's sister. I'm just taking care of her." She put Kaitlyn in the stroller and looked up to see Rachel coming. "I have to go but it was nice meeting you." She walked away but turned to see Brooke looking at some CDs. "You have a nice ass by the way." When she looked up Haley winked at her and walked up to the counter.

Rachel took Kaitlyn outside to sit on bench so she could feed her. Haley was paying for the CD when Brooke moved behind her. She leaned in so only Haley could hear her. "You don't look so bad yourself." That voice sent chills down Haley's spine. "Maybe I'll see you later." With that Brooke walked off leaving Haley standing there with her mouth opened. It wasn't the most attractive way to stand in the middle of a store but who cares. She was definitely not going to mind staying here if that was the eye candy. Maybe Tree Hill wouldn't be so bad.

_**A/N:**__ Okay so maybe I should clear this up, Haley is bisexual as is Brooke and Rachel. There will definitely be some Baley action just not sure if they will be a fling or a relationship. Oh and I'm thinking about keeping Haley's old gang in Tree Hill. Not sure yet. They are after all basically living on their own anyways. They could move down there with no problems. I just don't know yet. What do you guys think?_


	5. Chapter 4

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity – Thank You**

All the girls were sitting in the food court eating. Kaitlyn had fallen asleep in her stroller so Haley was able to eat without having to feed her as well. Peyton was sitting in front of Haley. Rachel was between the two girls. Deb was eating at a table close by. She was trying to give the girls some privacy. "Do you know Brooke?" Haley looked up at Peyton. The two had barely spoken since they came to the mall.

"Brooke Davis?" She looked up and saw that Haley wasn't sure. "Black hair?" Haley nodded. "I know of her. She doesn't talk much. She hangs out with Jake Jagielski all the time. The two of them keep to themselves. No one really knows anything about them."

"Oh." Haley picked at her fries. Maybe Brooke would be a good friend. She wasn't popular. That was a major concern for Haley. She didn't want her life out there for the whole student body to know.

"Why?" Peyton pushed a strand of hair out of her face and started to sketch on her sketchpad.

"Just curious. I met her in the music store." Haley smiled over at Rachel who was giving her a knowing look. She playfully hit her shoulder and then acted innocent.

"Watch your back around her. She can get pretty nasty. She isn't the nicest person in town." Peyton glanced up at Haley then back at her sketch. "You should try talking about it. Maybe not to your family but to someone. It might help."

"What are you talking about?" Haley looked at Peyton. She was hoping she didn't know the truth. Lucas would be dead if she knew. She may have only moved in with them but they would have to learn of her temper sooner or later.

"Whatever's bothering you. You have a way of acting around certain people. It just seems like something's wrong." She handed Haley the sketch she was working on. Haley took it and looked at it. It was a sketch of Brooke. Above the picture were the words, **Be Careful.**

**FVCWASOC**

"Brooke tell someone or move out of that house. Please." Jake looked at his friend then went back to feeding his daughter.

"I can't Jake and you know that. Besides I'm almost eighteen. I'll move out then." Brooke ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She looked around the food court and frowned. All around her were happy families. She sighed with disgust and finally looked back at Jack and Jenny. They were the only happy family she could stand. She knew they weren't perfect. They didn't even try to act perfect.

"Just please be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I will I promise."

**FVCWASOC**

Haley walked into her room with Rachel close behind. Between the two of them their arms were full of shopping bags. Peyton had stayed downstairs with Lucas and Deb was putting Kaitlyn down since she had fallen asleep so they were able to have some time to themselves. Opening the door Haley stopped. "Surprise." Haley looked around the room and smiled. The guys had set up a drum set and brought out their guitars.

"You guys this is amazing." She set the bags down and hugged them both. "How did you manage all of this?"

"Well your dad helped us a little." Chase sat on the bed and pulled Haley down beside him. He looked at Rachel and Chris and nodded towards the door. They took the hint and left. "We need to talk Hales."

"About what?" She sat down slowly, not liking the tone he was using.

"Take off your shirt." She did as told and turned away from him. She knew what was coming. He ran a finger over the long scar on her shoulder blades. "You need to talk to someone about what happened Haley. You can't keep it all to yourself."

"I know but damnit Chase. I can't talk to anyone I don't know." She was now facing him again, sitting in just her black bra and blue jeans. It didn't matter to them. He was always the one to take care of whatever injuries were on her body. He knew her body almost as well as she did.

"How's your leg?"

"It's fine. It hurts like hell but nothing I can't live with." She held one of his hands in her own. "I love you Chase, I really do. You have to relax though. I'm fine. I have been since I got out of that house."

"I know but I worry about you all the time." He pulled her into a hug, not wanting to let her go. "But you're my baby. I can't help but worry about you."

"I'm sorry.." Dan turned away from the two teens. What he saw on his daughters back brought tears to his eyes.

Chase gave Haley a small nod and she put her shirt back on as she stood up. "Hey dad.." The word felt strange leaving her lips but they felt so right at the same time. When he turned to look at her she swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Thank you for everything.."

"Oh Haley." He walked over to his daughter and enveloped her in a hug. "You don't have to thank me. I'm your father. I'm suppose to take care of you." He paused, trying to not cry from his own thoughts. "I just wish I could have been there."

"I know." It was all Haley could say. She wasn't used to receiving affection from her parents. She wasn't used to being loved. She wasn't used to feeling safe. She wouldn't let her guard down that fast though. She couldn't. It wasn't in her nature to do such a thing.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Okay so I decided to cut this one short. I didn't want to have to much in it. I'll start to show a little of what went on in Haley's life. It may just start out as her talking to different people. She isn't someone who will tell everything to one person._


	6. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**__ The song is "October" by Evanescence._

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity - October**

Haley sat on the edge of the bed. Rachel was sleeping so Haley had a few candles lit for light. Chris and Chase were sleeping downstairs with Kaitlyn. Dan had insisted that the boys sleep away from the girls. Haley didn't mind too much. She liked that she had a real parent. She would have loved to talk to Chase though. She strummed the guitar lightly and started to sing.

_I can't run anymore,  
I fall before you,  
Here I am,  
I have nothing left,  
Though I've tried to forget,  
You're all that I am,  
Take me home,  
I'm through fighting it,  
Broken,  
Lifeless,  
I give up,  
You're my only strength,  
Without you,  
I can't go on,  
Anymore,  
Ever again._

Haley closed her eyes as she sang. She was thankful no one was awake. Sure her friends had heard her sing before, that wasn't the problem. This was a song she had written and never told them about. It held so much emotion in it. She didn't think she could explain to them what it meant.

_My only hope,  
(All the times I've tried)  
My only peace,  
(To walk away from you)  
My only joy,  
My only strength,  
(I fall into your abounding grace)  
My only power,  
My only life,  
(And love is where I am)  
My only love._

She looked over at Rachel. She was still sleeping. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Rachel was truly a beautiful person. It wasn't just in looks. No. She took Haley in when she had nowhere else to go. Whenever Haley needed a friend she was there. Rachel was the one who got Haley out of the abusive house. Rachel was everything to Haley. She was her whole reason for even being alive.

_I can't run anymore,  
I give myself to you,  
I'm sorry,  
I'm sorry,  
In all my bitterness,  
I ignored,  
All that's real and true,  
All I need is you,  
When night falls on me,  
I'll not close my eyes,  
I'm too alive,  
And you're too strong,  
I can't lie anymore,  
I fall down before you,  
I'm sorry,  
I'm sorry._

She put the guitar down, not even bothering to finish the song. She leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Rachel's forehead before standing up. She quietly made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. She fixed herself a bowl of cereal and sat at the counter.

Lucas walked into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge. He sat down beside Haley. "Can I talk to you?"

She shrugged her shoulders, not looking at him. He noticed she was wearing a long sleeved shirt despite the fact that the house was rather warm. "I guess."

"What happened to you?" He heard her take a sharp intake of air. "I meant with your back. It's covered in scars."

"The biggest one was from a carving knife." She stared blankly at a spot on the counter.

_Haley walked into the house. She was coming home from Rachel's. She could hear her mother crying. She cautiously walked into the kitchen. What she saw made her breath catch in her throat. Her mother was lying on the floor; her stepfather was holding a carving knife in his hand. Blood was dripping from it._

"_Leave her alone!" Haley rushed forward just as he was bringing the knife down to stab her mother. The knife pierced her skin, cutting deep into her shoulder. He pushed the knife further down, cutting all the way to her other shoulder._

"_Stupid bitch." He walked off, leaving Haley lying there bleeding. Her mother stood up as well, running after Jason. She was yelling for him to take her back, to not leave. It really didn't surprise Haley._

_Silent tears ran down her face as she pulled out her cell phone. She was thankful for Chris at the moment. He was the one who was paying her cell phone bill. He wanted her to always be able to call someone. She dialed the one number she knew would help, Rachel._

She looked over at Lucas. A look of horror was on his face. She just shrugged it off. She never showed any emotions when talking about her beatings. Well she did when she talked to Rachel. She didn't like people feeling bad for her. She hated the looks of pity.

"I'm going to bed." She stood up, leaving Lucas to his thoughts. She climbed the stairs to her room and closed the door. She changed into a tank top and boy shorts and crawled under the covers. She curled up beside Rachel and laid in the dark. She didn't sleep much. She never really had. She felt safe with Rachel but even that didn't stop the nightmares.

Lucas swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat. He couldn't believe that had happened to Haley. Chris clearing his throat pulled him from his thoughts. Chris walked over and sat down beside him. "You know that isn't the worse that has happened to her. She's had it rough. Try not to push her to talk to much. She'll talk when she's ready." Lucas just nodded. He didn't know what to say. He was still in shock over Haley's story.


	7. Chapter 6

_**A/N: **__Okay so I need your help. I'm stuck on what couples I want in this story. I have an idea but I'm not sure. For Haley I want her with Chase, Jake, or Peyton. Brooke, I want her with Rachel or Lucas. And if Haley doesn't end up with Chase or Peyton then I want them together or I want Peyton and Rachel together if Brooke and Rachel don't work out. Any ideas?_

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity – Nightmares and Tears**

"_Haley, please get out of that house." Tears were streaming down Rachel's face freely but she didn't care. She just wanted her best friend to be safe. "Move in with Chase or Chris or me. Just please get out of that house."_

"_It isn't that easy Rachel." Haley leaned over and hugged her friend and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you for being so concerned about me Rach but I'll be fine. If not I'll call you." With that Haley got out of the car._

_Rachel stayed parked in front of her house though. She always did. If Haley was okay she would call her in thirty minutes. She would leave then. If not then she was going in and saving her friend. That's how it had been since she found out about the abuse. She was playing with the radio dial when "Long Trip Alone" started to fill the car. She looked down at the clock and dropped her phone. She ran into the house. What she found made her break down. She picked up Haley's cell phone and called Chris._

Haley watched Rachel's facial expression change. She knew her friend was having a nightmare but she didn't dare wake her. Rachel didn't like being woken up even if she was having a nightmare.

_An older male doctor walked into the waiting room. "Are you Haley James' family?" He looked at the three teenagers in the room._

"_I'm her sister." Rachel quickly stood up. She was eager for any kind of news. "Our parents aren't.. they aren't in town." She choked back a sob. She didn't want to break down and tell the doctor the truth. She just wanted to know how Haley was._

"_She'll be fine. Did you know she was pregnant?"_

"_P-pregnant?" Chris looked at the doctor as he held onto Rachel. "She's pregnant?" Those words sounded so foreign to him. How could she be pregnant? They had been so careful every time._

_The doctor shook his head sadly. "Sadly she lost the baby." He looked at the three teens in front of him. Chase was clenching and unclenching his fist. "We did everything we could but her life was more important."_

"_Thank you doctor." Rachel looked at Chris. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."_

"_I'm going to kill that son of a bitch." Before they could stop him Chase ran out of the room._

"Chase!" Rachel shot straight up in bed. She looked around and realized she was in Haley's room. She pulled the blonde girl to her and just held her in her arms as she silently sobbed.

Haley stroked Rachel's hair and rubbed her back. "What's wrong babe?"

"I don't want to lose you." Rachel was trying so hard to be strong for Haley but she couldn't do it any longer.

"Hey look at me." Haley pulled back so she was looking Rachel in the eyes. "You're not going to lose me. I'm not going anywhere. I'm safe now." She kissed Rachel's forehead and rocked her back and forth gently.

"She's safe. I won't let anything happen to her." Both girls looked up to see Lucas standing in the doorway. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was looking a little embarrassed for speaking.

Rachel smiled thankfully at him through her tears. "Good. I need someone to keep a watch on her while I pack up my stuff at home."

"What?" Haley looked at Rachel, confused.

"In a few weeks the whole gang will be back together. Chase wants to be closer to you. And Chris doesn't want to be left alone so we're all moving down here." Rachel chuckled as she watched Haley register it all. Finally she knew the question was coming. "Yes, Kaitlyn too."

Haley jumped out of the bed and ran past Lucas. She ran down the stairs, ignoring the fact that she was only in shorts and a tank top. Many scars were visible. She stopped when she reached the bottom of the stairs. Her leg was throbbing. She walked over to the living room and looked at the two boys. "Is it true?"

Chase sat up and looked at the smile on Haley's face. He missed her smiles. "Yes." She squealed and ran to him. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He snaked his arms around her waist and held her close. "I can't leave my favorite girl here all alone."

Nathan walked into the living room rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was obvious Haley's lack of clothing while sleeping ran in the family. Nathan was only in boxers and a wife beater. "What's with the screaming?" He stopped and stared at Haley. There were several scars along her back, the largest one standing out. The backs of her legs were scarred up and bruised. There was a gash on her upper left leg. It looked like a pair of scissors went through it. "What the hell happened to your leg?"

Chase tightened his grip on Haley. A look of pain was evident in her eyes from the memory. He glared at Nathan. He wanted to hurt Nathan for making Haley feel the pain again but he stayed were he was because Haley was holding on to him and whimpering. He wouldn't leave her side when she was like that. "What do you think happened? She was fucking abused!"

_Haley had just been released from the hospital. The hospital called social services and they had been interviewing Jason and Lydia. Needless to say Jason was not happy with Haley. As soon as she walked into the door he hit her in the stomach. He didn't care that her friends were standing right there. Chris and Jason got into a fight but Lydia stopped them by putting herself between the two. Rachel and Haley were walking out the back door. Haley couldn't run because of the pain medication and the blow she took to the stomach. Jason quickly caught up to the two girls. Rachel stepped between them. "Run Haley!"_

"_Move bitch. I just want Haley." He tried to shove Rachel out of the way but she fought back. He wasn't used to anyone fighting back._

"_No! I'm not going to let you hurt her anymore." She tried to push Jason back inside the house. She punched him a few times but only managed to piss him off. He shoved her to the ground. The pain that shot through her body made it impossible for her to move, much less help Haley._

_Haley stumbled over to her mother's garden and stopped. She was getting dizzy and could barely hold herself up. She turned around and saw Jason walking towards her. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over to see Chase. "Chase.." She stopped whatever she was going to say. She noticed what was in his hand, a gun. Jason was right in front of Haley when Chase made himself known._

"_Leave her alone." His voice was low and menacing. It was full of so much venom. Haley had never heard him so pissed off before. Jason shoved Haley out of the way to focus on Chase. Haley landed on a pair of garden shears that were lying on the ground. She screamed out in pain. If she hadn't screamed she would have heard the gun off. Jason fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around him. "Haley, are you okay?" Chase threw the gun down and knelt down beside Haley._

Haley bit her lower lip as she looked around at her new family. She had just finished telling them about one of the worst days of her life. Tears started to fall freely; she could no longer hold them in. She ran out of the house, Rachel following closely behind.

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_**A/N:**__ The second flashback is supposed to be her telling everyone what happened. I added extra details so you would understand more of how much her friends did to protect her._


	8. Chapter 7

_**I normally wouldn't update this soon on this story but I'm in a good mood and everyone has been giving me such amazing reviews so I thought I would give you the next chapter. Blame it on the Christmas spirit.**_

_**A/N:**__ I know normal writers say all their 'thank yous for reviews here. I write my chapters ahead of time. Most of the time I keep about two or three written so I don't do it. I try to reply to all your messages in private though. I hope that makes up for it._

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity – Goodbyes and talks**

Haley and Chase were sitting on the front porch talking. The sun had yet to come up. They were both early risers. The gang was going home today and it was killing Haley. She didn't want to be left alone with people who were basically strangers. She wanted to stay with her friends. She wanted to stay where she knew she was safe., and for right now safe was in Chase's arms. She snuggled a little further into his arms, trying to stay warm. Chase brushed a strand of hair out of her face. He ran a finger along a scar in her hairline. He was the only person who knew it was there. Even Rachel didn't know about it.

"I'm going to miss you." She didn't look up at his face. She knew if she did she would cry. She couldn't cry. Crying was a sign of weakness and she would never let Chase see that she was weak. It wasn't because he would look down on her. No, it was because he would try to protect her. She didn't want him to have to protect her anymore than he already had.

"I'll miss you too." He sighed. He hated doing this, saying goodbye. He hated leaving Haley behind. Leaving her behind meant he couldn't protect her. He wanted to take her in his arms and protect her forever. He had been the one to protect her ever since he found out about the abuse.

_Chase was walking over to Haley's house. They had been friends for exactly six months. He could tell something was wrong with her but she would never tell him. He got to her house and was surprised at what he saw. Twelve-year-old Haley was sitting on the front steps holding her head. Blood was trailing down her face and on her hands. He ran over to her. "Haley what happened?"_

"_He hit me." Her voice was calm and it scared him. "I asked him to stop but he wouldn't. I tried to get away. He pushed me onto the coffee table." Chase gasped. They had a glass coffee table in the living room. He knew that much. The edges were really sharp on it. It looked like it needed to be sanded down a few more times._

"_Haley.." He didn't know what to say. He had never dealt with anyone being abused before. He did all he could think of, he pulled her into his arms. He helped her up and walked her to his house where he took care of her. That was how it started. He would doctor her wounds and she would briefly tell him what happened. She always begged him not to take her to the hospital. She didn't want to be taken away from him or Rachel. He never took her because he didn't want her taken away from him._

"I don't want you guys to leave." Haley pulled Chris and Rachel even tighter to her. Her and Chase had already said their goodbyes. It was killing her but she knew she had to let them go. They would be back. She just didn't want to be alone. "I'm going to miss you guys."

"We're going to miss you too Hales." Chris kissed the top of her head and pulled back. That only prompted Haley to pull Rachel even tighter into her arms. Chris shook his head and tried to detach the two girls. That only earned him a glare and a kick in the knee from Haley. "Okay, take your time." He hobbled over to the car and got in. He didn't want to mess with the girls anymore.

"I'm going to miss you babe." Rachel kissed Haley's cheek. Haley kissed hers in return.

"I'm going to miss you too babe." Haley pulled back and reluctantly walked back into the house. She made her way into the kitchen where Deb was baking cookies. "Hi Deb." Haley sat down on one of the barstools.

Deb placed a plate of cookies in front of Haley. "You doing okay hon?" She put the tray of cookie dough in the oven and sat down beside Haley. "Are you adjusting okay?"

Haley sighed and looked at Deb. "Honestly, no. It's hard. Everything is so different from what I've always known. The only people who have ever shown me love was the three that just left."

Deb smiled sadly at the girl. "If I had any idea of what was going on I would have come to you."

Haley shook her head. "What's done is done." She hugged Deb, surprising the both of them. Haley always needed a strong mother in her life. Maybe Deb could be that woman for her. She pulled back and smiled shyly. "I have to go. I have something to do."

**FVCWASOC**

Haley knocked on the office door. She wasn't sure why she came here. She just felt like she needed to make an effort. She needed to step out of her comfort zone and open up to her father about everything. She needed to get everything out. When she heard 'come in' she opened the door. "Haley what a surprise." She smiled shyly at her father and took a seat in front of his desk. "What brings you here?"

She took a deep breath. A picture on his desk caught her attention. It was a picture of the two of them when she was four. She smiled slightly. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard. He loved her enough to keep an old photo around because he didn't have any recent ones. "I wanted to talk to you. About everything."


	9. Chapter 8

_**I would have updated all my stories sooner but I went to the doctors today. (Bleh! I hate doctors but I may be going there again.) Theres a new baby in the family and we're supposed to go see it soon so I don't know when my updates will be ready. Sorry.**_

_**I just want to give a special thanks to Sara (macs ace) and Bec (RedMagic) who have really inspired me to start a lot of my stories and have helped me finish some stories. I don't believe I would have been able to finish **_**Invincible**_** or **_**Broken Angel**_** without Sara. And I wouldn't have written all my Jaley's if it weren't for Bec getting me into them.**_

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of ****Clarity – Bonding**

_Haley knocked on the office door. She wasn't sure why she came here. She just felt like she needed to make an effort. She needed to step out of her comfort zone and open up to her father about everything. She needed to get everything out. When she heard 'come in' she opened the door. "Haley what a surprise." She smiled shyly at her father and took a seat in front of his desk. "What brings you here?"_

_She took a deep breath. A picture on his desk caught her attention. It was a picture of the two of them when she was four. She smiled slightly. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard. He loved her enough to keep an old photo around because he didn't have any recent ones. "I wanted to talk to you. About everything."_

Dan told his sectary to hold all of his calls until further notice and send any clients needing help to Keith. He wanted to put all of his attention on his daughter. She was what was important to him right now.

"Do you want to do this somewhere else?" He looked up at her, blue eyes meeting Hazel, the hazel eyes that came from his mother. She took after his side of the family more than her mother's side.

"Here is fine." She picked up the picture and ran her finger over it. She was sitting on his shoulders and he was looking up at her while she was looking at whoever was taking the picture. They were both smiling. Her hair was dark then. She wore it in pigtails. That was something she hadn't done since she left Tree Hill.

He smiled at his daughter. She was becoming a woman. He had missed most of her life and it killed him. It was killing him ever more to know she had been abused while she was gone. "That was your fourth birthday. Deb and I took you to the zoo. You made us stay at the tigers for two hours so you could watch them. I bought you a stuffed tiger at the gift shop so you would finally leave that spot." He chuckled softly as he remembered how her eyes had lit up. She was always so happy when she was with him.

"It's at Chase's house. I still have it." She put the picture back down and took a deep breath. She had to get everything out. She couldn't keep it in. She was always close to her father when she was little. Maybe she could be close to him again. She so desperately wanted to be. She wanted to be his little girl again. "I want to be open with you and Deb. And Nathan and Lucas." She quickly added. "I just have so much trouble trusting."

"Haley, you can take all the time you need." He ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't expect you to be open the second you walked in the door. Deb doesn't expect you too either. The boys are a little different. It's hard to know what goes on in their heads. Just take all the time you need, and if you ever want professional help then let me know and I'll get it for you."

Haley smiled, a true smile, at her father. "Thank you… dad." The word was still a little weird for her but it sounded so good. Dan's heart swelled every time he heard it come from her. He missed her calling him all those years ago.

**FVCWASOC**

Haley walked into the kitchen after getting back from her fathers office. She saw a familiar brunette sitting at the kitchen counter. She had several books laid out in front of her and she was trying to explain something to Nathan. Haley grabbed three bottles of water from the fridge and handed them both one, keeping the third for herself. "What are y'all doing?" Haley laid her southern accent out thick, not meaning to. It came out really thick when she was sick or had been crying.

"Brooke is trying to teach me math." Haley raised an eyebrow at him. "I have to keep my grades up to stay on the basketball team."

"At this rate your never going to be able to stay." Brooke looked up from the book and smiled slightly at Haley.

"So what are you a tutor or something?" Haley sat at the counter beside Brooke, ignoring the annoyed look on Nathan's face. "What Nate? Am I taking away precious time from your girlfriend?" She mouthed a 'sorry' to Brooke. Brooke just nodded. She understood that Haley was trying to get under Nathan's skin. She'd watched enough people at school do it to one another.

"No." Nathan blushed slightly which was not like him.

"I can't believe it! I was only joking." She hopped off the barstool. "Anyways I'm bored. I'm going to go find Lucas." Haley walked towards the steps in search of her oldest brother. She felt a connection with him that she couldn't explain. Every time she was around him she felt comfortable. She felt like she could open to him and be honest. She really wanted to be friends with him. She wanted to be friends with Nathan too but she wasn't sure she was ready to handle his questions. He sometimes spoke without thinking. She stopped in front of Lucas' door and knocked.

"Come in." Haley opened the door to reveal Lucas sitting at his computer desk writing on his laptop. She lay on his bed and propped herself up with her elbows. Lucas turned his attention to her. "Can I help you with something?"

"Nah. I just thought I would come say hi to my big brother. Nathan was getting boring so I came to say hi to you. So… what's up big bro?" She smiled innocently, like she hadn't just rambled a bunch of nonsense.

"Um… I was just writing my book." He scratched the back of his neck nervously. No one knew he was writing a book. He wasn't even sure why he just told the little sister he only met a few days ago.

"What's the book about?" Haley lay on her stomach, keeping her eyes on her brother.

"About my life and my friends."

"Oh sounds cool." They chatted for several hours that night. It was getting late when Dan came home and it was time for supper. Lucas got up to go downstairs when Haley stopped him. "Lucas?" He turned to look at her. "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't like to be alone." Haley always had nightmares when she was alone and she wasn't sure she could handle any right now.

"Sure. You can stay with me tonight." Lucas acted calm on the outside but inside he was bursting with joy. All he wanted was to be able to protect his little sister and this was a chance to do that.

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_**A/N:**__ I know this is a bit short but I'm trying to establish a relationship with Laley before I get any other relationships established._


	10. Chapter 9

_The cold night air blew at Haley's wet hair. It was in the middle of January and she was sitting outside in shorts and a tank top. Her shirt was sticking to her back. It was probably fully stained with the blood by now. Jason had thrown his beer bottle at the wall beside her. The glass from the bottle had pierced her back. She could still feel pieces of glass in her back but she didn't move to get them out._

Haley slipped on Chase's black hoodie. He'd given it to her before he'd left. She loved the hoodie. It always smelled like him, like cinnamon. It was comforting to her. It also covered the scars on her body. She slowly opened the door and slipped out. She didn't want to disturb Lucas. He was being so great to her. She wished she could trust her family. She really did. It was hard to though. She couldn't get close to anyone anymore.

_Haley got up from the ground and wiped away her tears. She winced from the pain in her back. She took several steps before stopping and taking in a sharp breath. The pain in her back was unbearable. She needed help. She knew she did. She went to the one place she knew she shouldn't. She took the painful steps to the house and knocked on the front door._

Haley slipped out the back door and walked over to the swing in the yard. She sat down and pushed herself a little. The wind blew her hair back from her face. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of freedom. She always felt free when she was outside at night. There was something so calming about the night air.

_The door opened and he looked at her. She hadn't been to this place in over a year. She reached in her pocket and pulled out some bills and handed them to him. He opened the door further and allowed her inside. He led her to the living room where several lines of coke were set up. She knelt down in front of the coffee table._

She pulled her cell phone out of the hoodie pocket and punched in the familiar number. She put the phone to her ear and took a deep breath. She had to get a lot off her chest. She needed to do it now before she buried it so deep inside of her that it became another scar.

_Haley woke up the next morning lying next to the one person she shouldn't have slept with. How could she have fucked up so bad? She should have known better. She was high though. She never thought straight when she was high. Then again did anyone? She felt the tears coming but she refused to cry. She slipped out of the bed and got dressed. The pain in her back starting to flare up. She slipped out of his house and walked to Rachel's. She buried that night inside of her. They never spoke about it. She never told anyone._

"Rachel there's some thing I need to tell you." She ran a hand through her hair. "You might hate me when I'm done but I have to be honest with you. That day I came to your house upset and I refused to tell you. I made a huge mistake. I slept with someone I know I shouldn't have. I went to _him_ again. It was stupid I know." She paused, willing herself not to cry. "I did a few lines of coke and went back to the only place I could remember. Well one thing led to another and we slept together."

"_Haley Delilah James Scott!"_ Haley flinched when she heard Rachel screaming.

"That's not all Rach." She felt the hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "I lost his baby that day in the hospital. It wasn't Chris' it was his."

"_Whose Haley? Whose baby was it?" _Haley could hear the desperation in Rachel's voice.

"Chase." Her was barely above a whisper but she knew Rachel had heard it when she heard that gasp. She closed her eyes and wished she could be anywhere but where she was. She still had to tell Chris and Chase.

"_Why didn't you ever tell me babe?"_

"I was scared." The girls finished their phone conversation. Haley's body started to shake with sobs. She felt someone pull her into their arms. She heard Lucas' voice trying to soothe her. It felt oddly comforting to have him holding her. It felt like maybe something was finally falling into place.

* * *

_**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed this. I need a few ideas if anyone has any I could really use them. My wondeful BETA Sara gave me an idea so the next chapter will mostly be from Lucas' POV._


	11. Chapter 10

_**A/N:**__ My wonderful BETA gave me the idea to write a chapter in Luke's POV. I did my best on this so let me know what you think._

_**I posted a video "promo" for this story on YouTube. The link to my YouTube account is on my profile if you want to check it out.**_

_**Also, I'm working on a new story with my BETA, Sara. I have a promo on YouTube for it as well. It won't be posted for a while but I'm making videos to go with it until then.

* * *

**_

Lucas felt Haley leave the bed and sat up. He went unnoticed by her. He watched as she slid on a hoodie and left the room. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got out of the bed, worried about her. He slipped on some warmer clothes and followed her outside. He stopped in the doorway when he noticed her sitting on the swing. He was about to go ask her if she was okay when she pulled out her cell phone. He started to turn away but the sound of her voice told him he should stay.

"_Rachel there's some thing I need to tell you."_ The tone of her voice was breaking his heart. He wanted to reach out to his baby sister and help her as much as he could. . _"You might hate me when I'm done but I have to be honest with you. That day I came to your house upset and I refused to tell you. I made a huge mistake. I slept with someone I know I shouldn't have. I went to _him_ again. It was stupid I know." _He wanted to end her pain. He would have gladly made a deal with the devil to take away her pain if he could. _"I did a few lines of coke and went back to the only place I could remember. Well one thing led to another and we slept together." _His head shot up.

"_That's not all Rach." _He felt a lump growing in his throat. He could tell this conversation was something he shouldn't be listening in on but he couldn't help it. _"I lost his baby that day in the hospital. It wasn't Chris' it was his." _He was definitely learning more about his sister through ease dropping then he should be. He couldn't help it though. As much as he wanted to talk away and give her some privacy his legs just wouldn't take him away.

"_Chase."_ Luke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Was Chase the father? _"I was scared." _He started to walk towards her as the girls were ending their conversation. He pulled her into his arms as she broke down. He felt her grip his shirt and sob into his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on her back, trying to soothe her.

He wasn't sure how long they had stayed outside. All he knew was that his baby sister was upset and needed comfort. As long as she would allow him he would make up for the years of not being in her life. He would make up for not being there to dry her tears and comfort her. He would make up for not being able to do all the things a big brother should do. He couldn't understand why anyone would hurt her. He couldn't understand how anyone could. After everything she had been through she still had a sense of innocence to her.

After awhile he noticed her breathing had evened out. She had also loosened her grip on him. He looked down to see her sleeping. She looked so innocent when she was sleeping, like nothing bad had ever happened to her. She looked like she was at peace. He picked her up with ease and carried her inside. He noted that she must have been malnourished because she was way too light for her age.

He laid her down on his bed and carefully tucked her in. He sat down on the bed beside her and pulled out his laptop. He had so many questions he wanted to ask but he would wait. He didn't want her to close back up now that she was slowly opening up. He wanted to know everything that happened to her though. He wanted to know what she had been through. He wanted to know what had happened to his baby sister.

He looked down at her. She was handling everything so well. She had adjusted to school rather well. She wouldn't talk to anyone though. She would sit between him and Nathan at lunch and eat in silence. Their friends tried to talk to her but she never spoke to them. She would shift uncomfortably until one of them changed the subject. Both boys had taken to the role of big brother rather well. They both made sure no one messed with Haley.

As he watched his sister sleeping he wished he could take away all her pain. All he wanted was for her to be happy and carefree. He didn't want her to live with the pain and the scars she lived with. If only he knew how many more scars she would endure before she was finally able to be happy.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ So I know this is short but I really wasn't sure how to write Luke's POV. It was a little difficult to be honest._


	12. Chapter 11

_**A/N:**__ **I've been craving some Paley and this is the result. The drama shall begin!** _

"_People always leave, that's a nice motto to live by." Haley sat down beside Peyton who was currently hiding in the library and drawing. Haley set her bag down and propped her feet up on the table. She was in a red plaid skirt that showed off her milky smooth legs. She had a rather large scar on the back of her leg and the gash that was still healing but she didn't care. So many people at the school were giving her a hard time that she wanted them to know just how tough she was. She wore a tight shirt with rips all in. It showed off many more scars and cuts._

_Peyton raised an eyebrow at the girl sitting beside her. She didn't like the attitude Haley had with her. She hadn't done anything to her but Haley was constantly pushing her away. "Why so interested all of a sudden?" She tilted her head slightly, causing her curls to fall and catch the sunlight. With the black Misfits shirt she was wearing it gave her the look of a dark angel._

_Haley smirked at her. "Can't a girl say hi to her brother's girlfriend?"_

"_Not when that girl has been nothing but rude to me since she got here."_

_Haley placed a hand over her heart. "I'm wounded." She placed her feet back on the ground and sat up straight. "I have a very good reason for being rude." She stood up and leaned down to whisper in Peyton's ear. "I might tell you it if you ever ask." Her hot breath on Peyton's ear was enough to make the curly blonde's breath catch in her throat. Haley stood up straight and smirked. "I can keep secrets."_

Haley sat straight up in Lucas' bed. She ran a hand through her blonde hair. _Maybe I should dye it black._ She shook the thought away. She was lying in her brothers' bed dreaming about his girlfriend, things were definitely going to get interesting around here. She slipped out of the bed, the night's events hitting her and she groaned as she realized Lucas had overheard her. She was relived at the same time though. Someone finally knew what she had been through and she didn't have to explain it to them. She felt so safe when Lucas was holding her, calming her down. She looked at the form of her sleeping brother. Maybe it was time to let her family all the way in.

**FVCWASOC**

Haley walked into the classroom with knee high black leather boots on over a pair of low-rise jeans. She wore a crimson sweater that hugged her figure, She was in the class with Nathan and she failed to notice all the dirty looks he kept giving everyone who was looking at his baby sister. It was amazing how quickly he stepped up to the role of protective older brother. Once they sat their table together he leaned over towards her. "Couldn't you have worn something less revealing?"

"I personally think she looks fine." Brooke Davis sat down beside Haley with a small smile on her lips. She chose to stick with baggy blue jeans and an over sized hoodie when at school. She hated when people looked at her. She felt like they could see past the make-up. She felt like they could see the bruises and the cuts. She was wrong though. No one could. At least no one could before Haley. The only reason Jake didn't have to look past the make-up was because he was there. He was there when it started.

"See I look fine." Haley stuck her tongue out at Nathan. She was amazed at how comfortable she felt after last night. Lucas hadn't mentioned the previous night to her. He had wanted to and she knew it but he had said nothing. She was thankful for that. She felt better knowing that he knew, but she still wasn't ready to talk about it. "Hey Brooke I'm failing calculus. Do you think you could help me out?" It was a lie. She was a straight A student. She just wanted to spend some time with Brooke and get the girl to open up to her. She wanted to save her from what she had been through. Sure she didn't know the girl but that didn't mean she didn't want to help. She had to get close in order to help her though.

"Sure." The tutor in Brooke made her say yes so quickly. She tore out a piece of paper and wrote down her address and phone number. "Call me when you're free. I'll try to fit you in anytime."

"Thanks." Haley looked up as Peyton came into the classroom. Her breath caught in her throat. Peyton was wearing a black mini-skirt with black high heels and a white button dress shirt. Her curls were pinned back but a few fell to frame her face. Her make-up was dark but not too heavy. She looked like a picture perfect dark angel. This was bad. Haley was falling for her older brother's girlfriend and she barely knew the girl. She didn't have time to fall for anyone. She was busy trying to save someone from what she had been through.

"Are you okay?" Haley turned her attention to Brooke. 'Hm?' was the only response Brooke received. "You've been staring at Peyton for ten minutes and class has already began." A grin broke out on Brooke's face. "You like her!" She whispered a little loudly. Haley put her hand over Brooke's mouth.

"Shh! Someone will hear you."

"Isn't she your brother's girlfriend?" Haley nodded sadly. "Oh." Brooke gave Haley's shoulder a comfortable squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Haley pulled out a notebook and started writing down notes from the board. "Can you tutor me this afternoon after school and then maybe we could hang out?"

"Sure."

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Ha! I'm mean. I'm going to start some drama between Lucas/Haley/Peyton and I'm bringing Brooke's storyline in. So expect more abuse flashbacks and talks._


	13. Please Read, this explains a lot

My cat is sick and my mom and I are having to feed him every thirty minutes so that he will eat. I won't be able to finish the update on this for awhile. My sleep patern got thrown off. Taking care of him is like taking care of a newborn right now. Besides not having the energy to update I just don't have the muse. With him being sick I'm worried about him. He's my baby.

When (and I have to say, sadly if) he gets better than I might be able to make an update again. If things turn for the worse then don't expect me to make any updates for awhile.

I'm still responding to messages if any of you are still wanting to ask for advice/help or just say hi. I'm not ignoring you, it just may take awhile to respond.

Thank you so much for your time and patience. You guys are the best readers a writter could ask for. You guys have stayed by me despite all the problems I have had to deal with that put this story on hold. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me. I promise when all of this is over I will give you guys an AMAZING update.

Take care

Abigail


	14. Chapter 12

**This update is long overdue and I'm so, so sorry that it has taken me so long. I know it sucks but I started this when my cat got sick. He died three weeks ago and I kind of lost my muse. I'm slowly getting it back so please be patient with me.**

_**A/N:** This chapter may seem like its moving fast but you have to remember, Haley's been in Brooke's position. She's going to know just what to say and what to do to ease Brooke's mind and to help her relax._

* * *

Brooke and Haley sat on the beach, the wind whipping at their hair. It had been Haley's idea to go to the beach. She knew that at this time of year it would be nearly deserted and she could talk to Brooke. She was having problems finding the right questions to ask. She didn't want to scare Brooke off but she didn't want to beat around the bush either. "Can I ask you something personal?"

Brooke scrunched her eyebrows together as if in deep thought. She turned to look at Haley and shrugged. "I guess."

Haley bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. "You're being abused aren't you?"

The way Brooke tensed up was confirmation. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Haley smiled sadly at the brunette. "I can tell you are Brooke." She rose up her shirt to show Brooke the many scars on her back and stomach. "I've been there." She put her shirt back down and sighed. "I'm not here to tell you to get help. I'm just here to tell you that you can talk to me. I understand what it's like. I know what its like to not want help too. I refused to let my friends tell anyone."

"Jake wants me to tell." Brooke dug in the sand with her fingers. She looked so fragile and broken now that she knew Haley knew. It felt like a relief though. Haley telling her she could talk without telling anyone was all that Brooke needed to hear. She needed someone to confide in. She had Jake but she didn't want him to know the depth of the abuse.

Haley put a hand on Brooke's lower back in a show of comfort. "When did it start?" Her voice was gentle. The tone of it told Brooke that Haley would wait all night for her to tell her if she needed that much time.

"It started when I was thirteen, when my dad walked out on my mom."

_Victoria Davis sat at the dinning room table. She was staring into space, not paying attention to anything around her. Her husband had left her. He just took off. He wanted to take Brooke but she wouldn't let him. She would be damned if he got their daughter._

"_Mom? Are you okay?" Brooke stepped into the dinning room. She was wearing a cotton sun dress. It showed a good amount of legs and her back but it was a decent dress._

_Victoria looked up at her daughter. "This is your fault." In true Victoria Davis style she found someone other than herself to blame. In a matter of seconds she was by Brooke's side and grabbing her roughly by the arm. She dragged her up the stairs, her fingers cutting into Brooke's skin. She shoved Brooke into her bedroom roughly. Brooke fell against the edge of her desk, the corner cutting into her stomach slightly. "If you weren't such a slut your father would still be here."_

Brooke's hand unconsciously wrapped around her stomach, as if Haley could see the scar. Brooke showed no emotion when telling the story. Haley understood everything all too well though. It was best to not show emotion and deal with it than get people involved who could get hurt.

"Do you wanna go do something?" Haley gave her a small smile. She would help Brooke the way Rachel helped her so many times before.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I heard my brothers talking about a club, TRIC?"

Brooke smiled, a genuine smile. "I know where that is."

**FVCWASOC**

Karen greeted the two girls once they entered the overly packed club. She pointed out the Scott boys and sent the girls to have fun. They stopped at the crowded table. All the talking stopped once they reached it. "Brooke this is the group. Guys, this is Brooke." Brooke said hi to everyone shyly and it was returned by about half of them. "You know my brothers and Peyton. This is Skills, Tim, Bevin, Theresa, and Mouth."

"Hi Brooke." Tim said flirtatiously. Brooke tensed up and Haley couldn't help but smile.

"Let's dance." She wrapped an arm around Brooke's waist and pulled her to the dance floor as "Earthquake" came on. The two girls danced through a few more songs. By the time the fourth song came on they were both laughing at how bad some of the other dancers were. Lucas and Nathan were both smiling as they heard Haley's laughter. It was like music to their ears to know that their sister could still be happy after everything that she had been through.

Brooke leaned into Haley and spoke loud enough for Haley to hear over the music but low enough for only her to hear. "Ask her to dance." Brooke nudged Haley in the direction of Peyton. She was going to help set them up. It was what she did. She tried to make others happy.

Haley stopped in front of the table and gave Peyton a smile. "Care to join me on the dance floor?" Peyton looked at Lucas who encouraged her to go dance. Haley pulled Peyton the dance floor just as a slow song came on. The two girls smiled bashfully. Haley put her hands on Peyton's waist, Peyton put her hands on Haley's shoulders. The two girls swayed to the music, each developing feelings for the other that shouldn't be there.


	15. Chapter 13

_**I'm spoiling you guys. This is to make up for my absence. I know I gave you guys a reason but I still feel bad for not giving you guys updates. The story will be picking up from her. The sad thing is though, it will end soon. There's at least five more chapters on it, maybe more. It's getting close to ending though.**_

_**I've decided to do a different approach with this chapter. I wanted to give you guys something extra to make up for my absence. I'm listening to The Veronicas so if there is any strangeness in this chapter I blame them.**_

_A month later…_

Deb smiled as she watched her stepdaughter and husband. The two were outside playing basketball. Haley dribbled the ball and went to shoot when Dan grabbed her by the waist and twirled her. Her laughter cause Deb's smile to grow. Haley had stepped out of her shell and become a member of the family. The house had been filled with so much happiness in the past two weeks.

"Mom?" Deb looked at the door where Haley now stood. "Can Brooke stay with us this weekend? I asked dad but he said I should ask you first."

The smile on Deb's face had yet to fall. It only grew wider when Haley called her mom. It was the first time Haley had referred to her as anything but Deb. "Sure honey."

Haley smiled. "Is it okay that I call you mom? I mean you are my mom. You love me a like mother should and your taking care of me. If you want me to I can stop calling you that. I don't want to offend you or anything. I just…"

"Haley!" Deb laughed. "Calm down. I feel honored to be called your mom."

"I'm glad." Haley nervously pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before suddenly hugging Deb. She was a part of the family and comfortable talking and joking with everyone but she was still a little hesitant with showing affection.

**FVCWASOC**

Peyton sat on her bed listening to a mixed CD she found on her doorstep that morning. She knew whom it was from by the music. Only one person could have such bad taste in music that it was good. The lyrics of "Wait For You" by Elliot Yamin were flowing around her.

"This isn't your normal style of music. Are you sick?" Luke asked in a joking tone from her bedroom door. The smile he had on his face faltered when he saw the serious look in her eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"We need to talk to Luke." She looked up at him. This was going to be hard. Lucas wasn't just her boyfriend, he was her best friend.

"That can't be good." He sat at her computer chair and turned to face her.

"I love you Luke. You're my best friend and I don't want that to ever change…" She paused, trying to find the right words.

"But you like my sister?" She looked up at him, surprise written all over her face. His tone hadn't been harsh. He sounded understanding, not at all surprised. "It's alright Peyt. I think you would be good for her. Just take things easy."

"Why… What…" She was having trouble forming coherent thoughts. She was prepared for a full at yelling match. She wasn't prepared for him to give her a shove towards Haley.

"I talked to Haley after that night at the dance"

_Haley walked into Luke's bedroom, slightly hesitant. She sat on the edge of his bed, causing him to look up from his desk. "I don't want you to hate me." She played with a piece of fuzz on the bed, not wanting to look at him._

"_Why would I hate you Hales?" _

"_I think I'm falling for Peyton."_

Lucas shook his head and laughed at the irony as "Leavin" by Jesse McCartney came on. "Ironic isn't it?" He said, motioning to her stereo.

She gave him a sad smile and nodded her head. "I'm really sorry Luke."

"Don't be. All I want is for the two of you to be happy."

**FVCWASOC**

Brooke looked through all the pictures on Haley's dresser. "Who are all these people Hales?"

Haley got off of her bed and walked over to her. She picked up a picture of her and Rachel dancing. "That's Rachel. She's the girl who saved me." She put it down and picked up another picture. This one was of her and Chase. She had a finger over Chase's lips and she was smiling. "This is Chase. He's the one who shot Jason." She picked up another one. It was of Chris holding Kaitlyn. She was standing off to the side of the picture, all smiles. "That's Chris and Kaitlyn." She went back to her bed and sat down.

Brooke picked up another picture. It was of Haley and someone she had never seen before. She carried it over to Haley. "Who's this?"

Haley looked at the picture then quickly turned away from it. "Felix."

Brooke put the picture down and sat beside Haley. "Want to talk about him?"

Haley ran a hand through her hair. "I met him about a year ago during the summer. Rachel was on vacation, Chris's mom just had the baby, and Chase and I were fighting. I was at a dance club and someone spiked my drink. Felix saved me before the guy could leave with me." She ran a finger over the picture frame. "He took me to his place and took care of me that night. He didn't even know me."

"What happened to him?"

"We became really good friends. I told him everything. I even told him things I never told Rachel. Then one day he showed up at my house. I remember that it was snowing. He said he had to leave. His parents were sending him to military school. I haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry."

"Brooke, why are you wearing long sleeves?" Brooke had told Haley she only wore long sleeves to cover the cuts she gave herself. Her mother would leave bruises on her from time to time but it was easy to hide those bruises. It wasn't as easy to hide the self-mutilation she did. After showing much concern for her Brooke finally told Haley she cut whenever her mother hurt her. It helped her to forget the pain of the abuse her mother bestowed upon her. When Brooke didn't answer Haley knew why. Before Brooke could stop her Haley was running out the door.

**FVCWASOC**

The pounding on the red door grew louder each time she hit it. She was beyond furious and she was taking most of the anger out on the door. When it finally opened she looked at the brunette woman standing in front of her. "You have some nerve." She laughed bitterly. "I was stupid enough to live with it but I wont let Brooke go through what I went through."

"I don't know what your talking about you little bitch." Victoria sneered. "Even so there isn't really anything you can do. Brooke's my daughter, I'll do whatever I damn well please." That was when it happened. She finally found the strength to fight back. Before she knew what she was doing her fist connected with Victoria Davis' jaw.

"Haley!" Nathan jumped out of the drivers' seat of his car. He made Brooke stay in the car when he saw Haley hit her mother. He reached his baby sister and stepped in front of her when he saw the fire burning in the older woman's eyes. "I'd advise you stay the hell away from Brooke and my sister." He never gave Victoria a chance to respond. He grabbed Haley by the arm and tried to get her to leave with him. When she wouldn't he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He was thankful Whitey worked them out so much when she started to struggle.

"She could have called the cops on you. What if she presses charges on you? You assaulted her." Nathan gripped the steering wheel tightly. He was worried about his sister and the girl he was falling for.

"She won't press charges."

"How do you know?" He pulled out of the driveway and headed towards their house.

"Did you forget I used to live with an abuser? They wont do anything to draw attention to themselves." She crossed her arms over her chest and refused to talk the rest of the way home.


	16. Chapter 14

_**A/N:**__ This chapter is short but it's setting up for the next chapter. The next chapter will be more eventful._

**Chapter Fourteen.**

_Peyton leaned against Haley's door frame, watching the smaller blonde as she held a picture in her hands. She knocked lightly on the door frame to catch her attention. "Hey."_

"_Hi." Haley gave her a small smile and set the picture down. She shifted over and motioned for Peyton to sit down. Once Peyton was settled on the bed Haley turned to face her. "What brings you by here?"_

"_Lucas." She noticed the way Haley's face fell but was quickly masked. "We broke up." She fidgeted with the edge of Haley's comforter, not really sure what to say. Or well she knew what to say she just didn't know if she could._

Haley gripped her cell phone tightly in her hands. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she tried to control her breathing. She threw the phone at the wall with so much force that it shattered. She wanted to scream but she didn't. She didn't move after throwing the phone.

The front door opened to reveal her two older brothers. They didn't see her crumpled up on the floor. She was glad. She wasn't sure she could handle the questions. Her luck ran out though. Both boys saw her and they both asked if she was okay.

"Rachel…" Before either of them could respond she was on her feet and sprinting for the open front door. Nathan reacted quickly and caught her by the waist. He learned real quick that she ran when things were too much to handle. She fought to get out of his hold. She balled her hands into fist and hit him in the chest several times before finally succumbing to the sobs that over took her. Nathan rubbed her back and tried to soothe her.

"What's wrong Hales?" His voice was gentle but urgent.

"Rachel…" She hiccuped. "Chase… Jason…" The sobs made it impossibly for her to form coherent thoughts much less sentences.

_"I was thinking that maybe… I mean only if you want to… that maybe…" Peyton was rambling and she knew it._

_Haley laughed softly. "You're rambling more than I do Peyt. What is it?"_

"_Maybe if you want to we could try to be an us?" Peyton kept her head down, not wanting to see Haley's reaction. She wasn't so sure about this. She really wanted to try to be with Haley but she wasn't sure how Haley would react to all of this._

"_I'd really love that."_

"_Really?" She looked up and her golden green eyes met Haley's soft hazel ones._

"_Of course." Both girls smiled._

Haley reached across the car seat and grabbed Peyton's hand. She gave it a light squeeze and turned to look at the curly haired blonde beside her. "Thank you for coming with me. I don't think I could handle this alone."

"You're welcome." The two girls stayed silent for a while. The silence was interrupted about fifteen minutes later.

"So how did you get dad to buy you a Volvo?" Nathan leaned forward so he was between the two girls.

"He asked her if there was anything he could do to help her out with the situation." Brooke pushed Nathan back into the seat beside her and stuck her tongue out at him before taking the spot he was previously in.

"You two need to hook up already. Your UST is driving me crazy." Nathan and Brooke both glared at Peyton. Haley was trying to hold in her laughter. She was doing better than Lucas who had already busted up. Peyton kept a straight face though.

"Hey! I resent that! I don't have unresolved sexual tension. If anyone does its you and Haley."

Haley smirked. "Nope we took care of that already." Nathan and Lucas both shouted out their protest while Peyton busted up laughing.

"You guys are cruel."

"But you love us."

_"Haley what happened?" Peyton asked gently as she sat down beside her girlfriend._

"_Chase… hospital." Haley was rocking herself back and forth. "Rachel… Jason…" Everyone was worried. Haley seemed to be going into shock. She could barely talk to tell them what was wrong._

"_Chase is in the hospital?" Peyton gently asked. She was the only one who stayed calm enough to make sense of Haley's broken words. Haley nodded in response. "Rachel told you it was because of Jason?" Again, Haley nodded in response. "Do you want to go see him?"_

"_Will you go with me?" Haley turned to look at her. She looked so broken and fragile. She didn't look like the girl Peyton had fallen for._

"_Of course."_


	17. Chapter 15

_**A/N:**__ I'm listening to "Heavily Broken" while writing this so it may be more depressing than it originally would be. This is probably the last chapter. I may write one more though. After the final chapter there will be an epilogue._

**Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity**

They sat in the waiting room for three hours. Rachel had told everyone what had happened but Haley wasn't listening. She couldn't concentrate on anything. She was too worried about Chase.

"Chase Adams?" Haley jumped up from her seat. The others quickly followed her lead and stood up. "He's awake. He sustained…"

"What room?" Haley could care less what was wrong with him. She just needed to see him.

"112." Haley started to take off down the hallway when Peyton stopped her.

"Are you sure you can do this alone?"

"I'm sure."

**FVCWASOC**

Haley silently cursed herself as she stood in front of the door that led to Chase. She had assured everyone that she would be fine doing this on her own. She wasn't so sure now. She reached out for the doorknob but quickly pulled her hand back. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She twisted the doorknob.

The door creaked as she opened it. She stepped in and looked at the bed. Chase was looking at her, a faint smile on his lips. He was overly pale, a result of the blood he had lost. His right arm was in a brace. "Haley." His voice was hoarse.

"Chase." Her heart was breaking as she looked at him. She wiped away the tears that had fallen and rushed to his side. She threw her arms around him and held on to him tightly. He wrapped his good arm around her and held her tightly.

"Haley please calm down." He was rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her. She was shaking from the sobs that had over taken her body. "There's someone here who wants to see you."

She pulled back and wiped away her tears. "W-who?"

"Me." She looked at the doorway and gasped. There in the doorway stood Felix. She jumped up and ran into his open arms.

The next two hours were spent catching up. Rachel and Chris had taken the Tree Hill group to Rachel's to get some sleep.

Haley was left alone for a while. Her mind was racing with thoughts she couldn't control. She jumped up and ran out of the hospital and to her car, unaware that Felix was now following her.

She raced through the town, searching for her old house. She reached into her purse and pulled out a .45, something no one knew she had. She pulled into the driveway and quickly got out of the car.

She tucked the gun in the back of her pants and walked through the front door. "Haley! I knew you'd be back." Jason smirked at her from where he was lounged in a chair.

"You know I put up with you hurting me and mom. I dealt with it and I lied for your ass." She shook her head and started to pace. "I thought that if I dealt with it then it wouldn't get any worse. I thought when I was gone you were done hurting me."

She pulled the gun out and pointed it at him. "You hurt me more when you put Chase in the hospital than you ever did physically." She laughed bitterly. "I'm going to finish what you started."

Felix ran into the house just as the bullet pierced Jason's heart. He slid the gun from Haley's hand and held onto her. He placed two fingers under her chin and gently forced her to look up at him. He gave her a chaste kiss, it wasn't a romantic kiss. It was simply a friendly kiss. "I want you to go back to Chase. Let me handle everything here."

"Felix…" She started to protest but he put a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Go. I'll stage a suicide." With the pleading look that was in his eyes she gave in.

"Promise you'll meet me there soon?"

"I promise. Now go."

**FVCWASOC**

Felix kept good on his promise. An hour later he was at the hospital. Now everyone minus Chase was at Rachel's house. The gang was moving to Tree Hill during the weekend, which meant Haley would have her family back.

"Are you coming with us?" Haley turned to Felix with hopeful eyes.

"I'll come during the summer. I want Anna to finish out the school year before I move her."

"Okay." Haley smiled warmly. For the first time in a long time everything felt right. She pulled out her songbook and found an old song. She started the song back when she was alone. Now she found a reason to finish it.


	18. Epilogue

_**A/N:** The song used is "_Five Vicodin Chased With A Shot Of Clarity_" by Atreyu. This is the song that the story title came from. When you read the lyrics you should understand why._

**Epilogue**

Haley walked into the stage and smiled at the audience. This was her first time performing since she moved to Tree Hill. Now that the gang was back together they started making music again. Nathan had overheard them practicing one day and convinced them to play at TRIC.

"Hi everyone. We're Twilight." She turned to smile at Rachel who was playing the drums. Chase was on lead guitar and Chris was on bass. She turned back to the audience and searched for a certain group of people. She finally found them, her family.

Deb and Dan were sitting between Lucas and Nathan. All four of them were wearing the proudest smiles on their faces. Brooke, Peyton, and Jake were sitting with them as well. Jake was holding Jenny and Peyton was holding Kaitlyn. Brooke and Nathan were cuddled up together. They finally realized that they were meant to be and got together.

Jake was watching Rachel with adoration in his eyes. They two of them were a new couple but everyone believed they would last. They just seemed to fit with each other. They made the perfect family when they went out with Jenny. Jenny even looked like Rachel with her strawberry blonde hair that was getting darker everyday.

Haley smiled at Peyton as the music started. She cleared her throat before speaking into the microphone again. "I starting writing this song a long time ago and only recently found the inspiration to finish it. I hope you like it."

"_After all this time of asking questions  
Of trying to find something to quiet this soul  
I'm left alone within my mind into this self-made hell I delve  
It's not as hot as you think  
More so dark and cold with no room to breathe_

I'm sorry, I don't think it's going to be okay this time  
My heart has skipped its final beat  
It's beating me down onto the floor  
That must mean that the pills are working  
The glass isn't half empty this time  
I smashed it to the ground a long long time ago  
It shattered when it fell and I broke to pieces  
Each shard's another reason, another way to give up

This skin is so tight that the air can't reach my brain  
There is nothing telling my heart to beat any faster  
To let me scream for help, I will never give up  
I will never take the easy way out

This is life  
This is struggle  
This is love  
This is war"


End file.
